Cat's in The Cradle
by Vagitis
Summary: After abandoning his loved ones in pursuit of his own selfish desires, Vegeta sought redemption through sacrifice. Now that Majin Buu has been defeated and the threat on Earth has subsided how will Vegeta confront his family and how can he atone for the pain he has caused them. BxV and possibly GxCC in later chapters. M for sexual content and other adult themes. Please R&R.
1. Rolling Stone

**This takes place after the Buu Saga and I might even venture into GT, basically my take on Vegeta's dramatic character change between the two series and how he came to terms with becoming a family man and an Earthling. **

**M for sexual content and other adult themes **

**Disclaimer: I do not own DB, DBZ, DBGT, or any of its characters. **

**And as always please R&R. **

**Chapter 1 **

Things had settled down to their natural rhythm at home, and Bulma had immersed herself in her work at Capsule Corporation once again. Things might have seemed normal from the outside: Trunks was back in school, her parents were enjoying retirement tending to the animals, and Vegeta as always was isolating himself in the gravity chamber. But she knew the events that had taken place just a few months ago had changed them, had caused a riff. For some reason she had been reluctant to confront her husband about all that had transpired after the wizard Babidi appeared on Earth. There were a few things that didn't quite fit, and no one seemed to want to burden themselves by giving her the full story. And quite frankly she was terrified of finding out the truth. She let time pass in hopes that Vegeta would bring it up but she should have known better, she got no such break from her stubborn long-term partner.

"Stupid Saiyan, why's he always making things difficult?" Bulma mumbled to herself, scribbling down her signature on the first of many papers that needed her approval.

"Excuse me, ma'am…I didn't quite catch that."

Bulma looked up at the young brunette carrying a stack of papers and walking towards her desk, "Oh sorry, Jackie. I was just thinking out loud," she replied sheepishly.

Her secretary gave her a warm smile and allowed the papers to drop with a thud on her desk.

"When will this end!" Bulma let out in exasperation, looking at the mounds of paperwork that surrounded her desk.

"Well ma'am because of the Buu incident and your extensive leap of absence we've fallen very behind schedule," Jackie replied pulling out a small notebook from her pants' pocket, "Now before I go, I just want to remind you that you have a 10 am meeting with the executive board to discuss a merger deal, after that you're needed in Lab 602 for approval of a new project, then at noon Mr. Tak Fuji will be waiting at the bar across the street for your business lunch…."

Bulma's eyes glazed over as she stopped listened to her secretary recite her incredibly long list of duties for the day. Her thoughts immediately going back to Vegeta and Trunks, they had both changed dramatically since this whole ordeal ended and it felt like her whole family had drifted apart and she didn't know why. Vegeta had lost his spunk, he almost seemed at peace and very rarely initiated or sustained a verbal battle with her, which seemed like a good thing but it was so out of character for the Prince that it just freaked Bulma out endlessly. Trunks seem to have hardened and matured after everything was back to normal and unlike before was less interested in spending time with his father. For the first time in her life Bulma felt like she was at a loss, "_how can I fix this…"_

"Do you need me to repeat anything?"

"Huh?" Bulma said snapping back to reality.

"Would you like me to repeat anything, Dr. Briefs?" Jackie replied with an obvious look of annoyance in her face.

"No, it's alright. I got it!" Bulma said scratching the back of her head in a very Goku-esque fashion.

"Well, just gimme a call if you forget anything…" She replied with a look of suspicion before turning on her heels and heading out of her office.

Bulma let out a sign of relief; she grabbed her cup of coffee and took several sips before getting back to her paperwork.

* * *

He exhaled slowly, allowing all the air in his lungs to escape his body before taking in another deep breath which caused his chest to expand in unison. Lately his days had been spent sitting on the floor of the Gravity Chamber, mediating, reflecting on his life: his past and his future.

He was no longer the dark and evil prince he once was; even when the darkness of his heart had been unsealed with magic his last thoughts were of his loved ones and his actions had been to save Bulma and Trunks. It was a hard truth to swallow, how he wanted to fight it, his pride had blinded him once again allowing him to believe that if things were different he'd abandon everything and resume his life the way it had been before he came to Earth. But if he looked deep inside he knew that he could never be more content or happy than he was right now, even though it was a pitiful and mundane life unfit for a warrior. His love of his family was so overwhelming that he was willing to sacrifice everything and even permanently merge bodies with the clown Kakarot. It was a difficult choice to make but he did not know what else to do, he needed meaning in his life again and he knew that he had to find a new purpose as a "good" guy, and maybe even as an Earthling.

Vegeta let out a grunt, and pulled himself off the floor. He walked towards the control panel and wearily stared down at all the buttons.

"_Why hasn't that blasted woman tried to talk to me about that day…she's always staring at me questioningly, the words practically painted on her lips but when I notice she'll start babbling on about something trivial or just turn away…She's never been afraid to speak her mind. Now that I want to pour my soul out she doesn't bother trying, she's so infuriating." _Vegeta clenched his teeth while setting the chamber to 500x the Earth's gravity to begin his exercises for the day, a routine he had to maintain just so he wouldn't experience muscle atrophy.

His thoughts were tormenting him for months now, he wanted nothing more than to rid himself of his burden by confessing his wrongdoings and admitting his desire to atone but it seemed as though he'd have to take out his frustrations on his body for now.

* * *

"Dad! Dinner is ready," Trunks yelled while banging on the steel door of the Gravity Room and before he could step away Vegeta yelled back.

"I will eat my meal in here; bring it to me at once."

Trunks rolled his eyes before walking away and heading to the kitchen, Bunny and Dr. Briefs were setting up the table while Bulma looked over some seemingly important portfolio.

"Dad wants me to bring him his food," Trunks announced.

Bulma looked up, and frowned.

"Well Darling, just grab your father a couple of plates then hurry on back. Don't want any of your food to get cold," Bunny chirped in her usual happy way before sitting down on the table.

Trunks nodded and was out of the kitchen in no time, he was trying to balance several plates on his arms and head while he hovered slowly to the room not wanting to make a second trip.

"I'm just gonna leave the food out here!" Trunks yelled at the door, it slid open suddenly and Vegeta appeared at the entry in his usual exercise attire, blue spandex shorts and gym shoes.

"Bring it in here," He commanded grabbing the plate off his son's purple head of hair and setting it down on the floor a few feet in.

The door slid close behind Trunks, he placed the rest of the food on the floor and turned to his father.

"Why aren't you eating at the dinner table?" Trunks asked looking up at Vegeta.

"That's none of your concern," Vegeta replied. Trunks gave his father a stern look and started to walk around him.

"Stop, I need to talk to you."

Trunks froze and looked up again curiously but slightly afraid he was in trouble.

"Wha…what is it, dad?"

"I know something has been on your mind lately, I'm giving you an opportunity to say what you want."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't lie to me, brat. Stop being a coward and say what's on your mind."

Trunks gave his father a venomous look, Vegeta knew that his son had inherited his pride and tempter and the offensive word would not be taken lightly.

"Look who's talking!" Trunks spat out before he could stop himself. He stared silently at his father, expecting him to react violently at the accusation. But Vegeta stared down unfazed and waiting for his son to continue. Trunks growled in frustration, his father's apparent apathy making him angrier.

"Only a coward would willing give up his free will and throw away his whole life just so he can have a chance against his stupid rival! You almost killed mom in the process too…" Trunks blurted out, he could feel his eyes grow hot with tears.

"Who told you?"

"Goten told me at the party…he overheard Gohan and Piccolo talking about it. It was so humiliating to think I defended your honor…I told Goten you were the toughest guy in the world and a Prince…and then I find out it was all your fault Buu was even released from his pod in the first place…without any regard for our lives." Trunks lowered his head furiously as he said the last line, he couldn't allow his father to see the tears streaming down his face.

Vegeta dropped down to one knee, so he could be at eye level with his son. He placed his hand on Trunk's shoulder, feeling him tense up. He knew his son wanted nothing more than to slap it away but he didn't.

"Forgive me, you're right I was a coward and if I could undo it all, I would," Vegeta said, his voice low and his features softening.

Trunks looked up with pure shock, his eyes drying up instantly.

"Honest?"

Vegeta responded with a slight nod. Trunk's face lit up, he had never imagined in his life he'd get an apology from his father and the act had such an impact on him that his anger had almost immediately dissolved.

"My actions were inexcusable, I put my own selfish needs before my family and in the end I realized there was nothing more important to me than protecting you and your mother."

Vegeta pulled Trunks in by the shoulder, and once again embraced his son with one arm. Trunks tried to enjoy the show of affection, acknowledging that this act may not be repeated again anytime soon.

"Now go eat," Vegeta commanded lifting away from his son and walking around him to his own meal.

"Uh…one more thing dad." Trunks said while watching his father sit on the floor, his back turned towards him.

"What is it?"

"Did you mean it…when you said you were proud of me?"

"Boy, I would never lie about such a thing." Vegeta answered turning his head slightly to the left.

A few moments of silence passed while Trunks grinned at his father who had finally turned back to his food and began to shovel it down his throat.

"Thanks, dad," Trunks whispered before running out of the gravity room happily.

"Honey, what took you so long?" Bulma asked when Trunks finally made his appearance in the kitchen.

"Oh dad just wanted to tell me something," Trunks replied nonchalantly, stuffing his mouth with mashed potatoes in seconds. He quickly decided it was probably best he didn't let his mother know what happened, she was still totally oblivious about the events that took place the day of the tournament, and he wasn't going to overstep his bounds and possibly piss off his father or even worse cause his parents to break up over the whole ordeal.

Bulma looked at Trunks suspiciously.

"What, pray tell, couldn't wait till after dinner?"

Trunks gulped down a mouthful of pork meat before turning to his mother again.

"He wants me to start training again, he says I had enough of a vacation," Trunks lied.

Bulma glared at her son but didn't press matters any further; she wasn't satisfied with his answer but didn't have any reason to not believe him otherwise.

* * *

It was 3 in the morning when Vegeta stepped out of the shower; he glanced over as his reflection and grimaced. He looked worn down, he felt some relieve this evening when he able to open up to his son but he knew Trunks' admiration for him would make it easy. He knew his son's forgiveness would come much more easily than Bulma's and the uncertainty really weighed him down.

He was determined to tell her everything, no matter the reaction or consequence; he needed to do it even if it meant the end of his relationship with her. She deserved more than anyone to know the truth.

* * *

She felt the mattress rock as Vegeta climbed into bed, her back turned towards him. Most nights she couldn't sleep and it was especially difficult when Vegeta decided to stay up late in the GR.

She'd lie in bed for hours replaying that moment when Goku informed them of Vegeta and Gohan's death at the hands of Majin Buu. The emotions of that moment would swell up inside her, and she wanted nothing more than to hold Vegeta and tell him that she didn't care about the truth she just wanted him here, with her.

She clenched the blanket with her hand before turning over to face him; he was lying on his back motionless. She slid her hand over his stomach slowly and moved it up allowed it to rest on his chest; she pressed herself against him and rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel his head turn towards her, she looked up and even though it was pitch black she could still faintly make out his face. After a few moments she leaned in even further and her lips found his, she moved her hand up to the nook of his neck and pulling her body even closer, she intensified the kiss. He moved his hand from underneath her body and pulled her in by the waist, easily positioning her right on top of him never breaking the kiss. His hands quickly pulling up her dress allow her legs to open up around him, his hands then resting on the back of her thighs. Their movements were slow but passionate, they made love for the first time in months and not a word was said between their sighs.

**There's gonna be a bit of angst here and there but eventually it'll lighten up.** **Hope you enjoyed, please remember to review. **


	2. Lightning's Striking Again

**This chapter is tame, but it is rated M for future use of strong language, sexual content, and other adult themes so don't act like I didn't warn you. **

**Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN DB, DBZ, DBGT, or any of its characters. Cause if I did there'd be a lot less fighty and a lot more…well you'll see. **

**Plz Read & Review**

**A/N – So I got a question about the title of the fic, it is a lyric from a song of the same name (Cat's In The Cradle by Harry Chapin, if you haven't already heard it please do, it's a great song). And no, the fic won't end in the same super depressing note. In fact Vegeta gets the second chance the father of the song didn't get (since I'm going for as close to canon as possible but with more fluff and sexy sex). The reason I used it as my title was because I think the song is very reminiscent of the kind of relationship Vegeta had with his family for a long time. Yes, he was present physically but emotionally he was totally detached and even when he took his brief hiatus from fighting and training it didn't really seem like he was hangin' out with Bulma and baby Trunks (refer to the movie Bojack). He was notably a changed man after the Cell saga but he was definitely still in warrior mode (since that's all he ever was since he was like…a zygote) and I don't think that changed until after the Buu Saga. His priorities up to that point were placed on being a successful fighter (and kicking Kakarot's ass) not a family man and anyhow my fic is centered on him switching those up (Thank god he shaved his moostache, amirite?). Each chapter will be named after a song title or lyric, for funsies try to guess the song and artist and I'll put the answer at the end of the next chapter. On a final note, thank you all for your wonderful reviews and follows and favs, I hope I can deliver. **

Chapter 2

Lightning's Striking Again

The rays of the sun began to creep through the curtains of Bulma and Vegeta's bedroom. Bulma's eyes fluttered open her arm still fastened tightly around Vegeta's chest, his right arm holding her against him. She was absolutely exhausted, but she knew trying to sleep was a pointless venture.

She turned her head up and found Vegeta staring up at the ceiling, consumed in his thoughts. When he felt her movement he looked down lazily, his eyes dull.

"_Had he slept at all last night?"_ Bulma wondered.

She turned her head away, loosening her hold on him she ran her fingertips down his chest and found his hand draped over his stomach. She took hold of it and squeezed, he turned his hand up so they could intertwine their fingers.

Bulma let out a heavy sigh.

"I've been dreading this moment, but I can't avoid it any longer… I need to know what happened the day of the tournament, none of it makes any sense," She said breaking the silence.

Vegeta took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the conversation that would no doubt be very emotionally exhausting.

"I will give you fair warning before I begin, I will crush whatever delusions you might have about what happened that day with the truth. It may be hard to hear but I want you to listen to everything I have to say," Vegeta's voice was detached.

Bulma waited silently for him to continue, she began to nervously chew on her lower lip, her eyes fixated on their hands.

He could feel her heart beating rapidly against his side, she was trying to appear calm but he could sense her spike of anxiety.

"From the very moment I came to this planet and met my humiliating defeat at the hands of that low-class clown, Kakarot I've been obsessed with crushing him. But his strength continued to grow immeasurably, in the process of achieving Super Saiyan, the transformation of legend; he stole a destiny that was promised to me since childhood. Not only that he avenged my people by destroying Frieza…the tyrant who enslaved _me_ and stripped _me _of my natural birth right as the prince of the Saiyan race. As if that wasn't shameful enough, when I had my opportunity to avenge Trunk's death at the hands of Cell, I failed."

Bulma winced in response to the mention of her future son's brief encounter with death.

"And once again I stood back and watched as another overshadowed my strength: Kakarot's son, who at the time was no more than a mere child. He managed not only to achieve super saiyan but ascend it, leaving me in the dust and rendering me completely useless on the battlefield...Kakarot's sacrifice only added salt to my wounds, my purpose in life vanquished with him, I could not prove myself as a warrior if I could not defeat my greatest rival. The day of the tournament, I thought I finally had a chance to prove my worth as a warrior; yet I was met only with the dreaded realization that Kakarot's power was still greater than my own. As I watched him battle against Babidi's pawn, I decided right there and then that I would allow Babidi to liberate the darkness of my heart."

He could feel Bulma's finger nails dig down into the back of his hand. Her breathing was noticeably fast and unsteady, her emotions threatening to overflow.

"I knew that his magic would make me stronger, and in exchange I would have to give up my freewill, but in the end my mind was too strong, I was able to block him out, I was in complete control. It was I who killed those innocent people, in an attempt to provoke Kakarot and it had worked. I took pleasure in killing them, and beating down Kakarot to an inch of his life. The evil in my heart allowed me to be the man I once was, free of petty attachments, and it felt good."

Bulma pulled herself from him violently, her eyes filled with anger and resentment as she stared down at him.

"How could you abandon your family so effortlessly? Did we mean so little to you compared to having your stupid moment of glory!"Bulma screamed, "Didn't I give you everything you wanted? Wasn't that enough for you…" She held back the tears that threaten to escape.

She quickly turned in an attempted to leave, she couldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry but before she could turn completely around, she felt his hands take hold of her arms. His grip was firm but not enough to hurt her, just enough to keep her from escaping.

"Let go, you idiot!" She shouted right into his face.

"PLEASE! Let me finish…"

Bulma stared at him intensely but didn't protest any further.

"I thought I had obtained what I always wanted…I was only lying to myself; even Kakarot knew that I still cared about you and Trunks. And when I felt Buu's power, and when I could no longer sense Gohan's life force; I had no other choice than to take responsibility. I had to undo the mess I had created…I had to defeat Buu and redeem myself. I sacrificed my life; I no longer cared about my own safety I could only think about saving the Earth, so that you and our son could continue to live."

Bulma lowered her eyes, and she sat there silently, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Go." She whispered.

"What?"

"You have no idea how much pain you've caused me, I don't want to see you…so GET OUT OF HERE," Bulma's body began to quiver with anger.

Vegeta's hands moved down her arms slowly loosening his grip along the way, freeing her. He knew there was no use in fighting her; the only thing that could really fix this would be time. He moved away from her and off the bed and quickly made his way to the closet. He put on his usual blue fighting attire and left Bulma who continued to sit motionless.

When the door closed, Bulma allowed herself to fall down on her side; she grabbed a pillow and held it tightly against her body. She sobbed into her pillow without restraint, she was frustrated and confused.

"_You selfish pigheaded idiot…how could you…"_

* * *

Vegeta made his way down the stairs and into the living room, Trunks sat on the couch staring at the muted television set, the Saturday morning cartoons playing on the screen.

He turned his head and stared at his father as he made his way to the door.

"Dad, are you going out?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"Can I…come with you?"

"No." Vegeta replied quickly while placing his hand on the door knob.

Trunks jumped off the couch and ran towards his father.

"Are you and mom going to be okay?" Trunks asked desperately, grabbing a hold of his father's wrist. He had heard most of the argument from his bedroom and ran down the stairs before Vegeta had immerged from his own bedroom.

Vegeta sighed and looked down.

"We'll work this out in time, for now take care of your mother while I'm gone," Vegeta said pulling his hand away and leaving Trunks standing at the front door before flying off.

Trunks stared out into the sky until he could no longer see his father's figure.

"Dear, what are you doing standing at the door?" Mrs. Briefs asked from the kitchen's entrance.

"Oh, no reason, Grandma. So what's for breakfast!?" Trunks asked happily masking his anxiety.

"Your favorite! Belgian waffles, eggs, and bacon," She answered with a smile.

"Oh yum! I love bacon," Trunks shut the door and followed Bunny into the kitchen.

* * *

Vegeta flew for several minutes before landing atop of several mossy boulders in the middle of a lush forest; his fist flew down into the boulder he stood on effectively breaking it into pieces.

He continued to smash his fists into the boulders, easily grinding the rock into bits.

"What the hell does she want from me?"

His left fist crashed into the rock.

"Must I grovel at her feet and beg for forgiveness?"

His right fist followed suit.

"I was sincere and in return she casts me out."

* * *

"What is it dad?" Goten asked as he looked up at Goku who was sitting next to him.

"Hm, I think I feel Vegeta nearby…I wonder what he's doing out here," Goku replied, his eyes appeared to be searching the skies for him.

Goten's eyebrows furrowed in concentration, searching for Vegeta's ki.

"Oh yeah! I can sense him but he's not that close by, dad."

"Well, I guess everything's close when you have instant transmission, huh?" Goku chuckled while scratching the back of his head.

Goten nodded at his father cheerfully, Goku smiled back warmly at his youngest son.

"I'm gonna go see what's going on with uncle Vegeta. I'll be back soon, keep an eye on my fishing line," Goku said before standing up in the shallow water. He planted the fishing rod in the sand; he and Goten had been fishing that morning at the edge of a pond several miles away from home. The fishing trip was a way for the two to bond as father and son, Goku thought it was only right he make up for the seven years he had been away.

"Uncle Vegeta?" Confusion was apparent on Goten's face.

"Yeah, I want you to call him that if I come back with him," Goku said smiling.

"But why?" Goten asked.

"You'll see," Goku winked at his son. He placed two fingers on his forehead, a stern look taking over his expression before disappearing into thin air.

* * *

When Goku reappeared in the dense forest a ki blast was heading straight to his face, Goku let out a squeal before ducking barely evading the unexpected attack.

"Whoa watch it!"

"That will teach you not to sneak up on me again." Vegeta growled, he was standing in the middle of the rubble, his hand still up towards Goku.

"Sorry Vegeta, I didn't mean to scare you,"

"I wasn't scared, you idiot!" Vegeta lowered his arm, he grind his teeth trying to hold back his irritation.

"Of course not," Goku chuckled, "So what are you doing out here anyway?"

"I don't think that's any of your business, Kakarot," Vegeta said crossing his arms over his chest.

Goku looked at the rubble lying under Vegeta's feet and decided it probably wasn't a good idea to persist.

"Well, since you're out here. How about you join me and Goten for some fishing?"

"I refuse."

"Oh come on, don't be that way!"Goku whined.

"There's no force in this universe that would ever compel me to willingly spend time with you and your brat," Vegeta announced turning his head away. Suddenly a loud noise rose from his starved stomach in protest. _"Damn traitor…" _Vegeta thought as he let out a sigh in defeat.

Goku smirked, "Fine, more fish for me and Goten."

"Ugh, very well. I'll join you,"

"Fantastic!" In a blink of an eye Goku closed the gap between them and placed his hand on Vegeta's shoulder, immediately after they stood a few feet away from Goten who sat patiently awaiting his father's return.

"Hey uncle Vegeta!" Goten shouted with a huge grin.

Vegeta's eyes widen in shock, intelligible words unable to escape him as he let out huffs of irritation.

Goku's hands flew up to cover his mouth, holding back the giggles that were sure to incriminate him.

"Grr…I am NOT your uncle. You will address me properly, brat." Vegeta barked.

Unable to control himself Goku's laugher broke through his hands and he hunched over in pain (from laughing so hard).

Vegeta turned his head dramatically looking at Goku who was right behind him, "You put him up to it, didn't you Kakarot!"

"I couldn't help it! I just wanted to see your reaction." Goku admitted putting up his hands defensively, trying to hold back his laughter.

Goten's smile faded into a scowl, his eyes quickly became glassy and soon enough he began to wail loudly.

"DAD…this…isn't…funny!" Goten spat out between breathing spasms, tears flowing down his face.

Goku held back his chuckles and was soon kneeling down in front of Goten. He put his hands on his son's shoulders in an attempt to comfort him.

"It's okay, buddy. It was just a joke, Vegeta isn't actually mad at you," Goku said trying to calm down his son but it was to no avail as Goten cried even harder.

"Pipe down, boy! You know very well I mean you no harm, now wipe away those tears," Vegeta's voice rang out sternly.

Goten's crying stop suddenly; he stared at Vegeta for a few moments curiously before his face became hard…the crocodile tears fading just as quickly as they had appeared.

Goku looked back at Vegeta and then at Goten, unsure of what to make of the situation. He blinked several times before smiling warmly at his son.

"So what's the status update on fish?" Goku said trying to change the subject.

"I haven't caught anything, and I'm really hungry," Goten frowned, his bottom lip puffed out to emphasize his disdain.

"What do you expect when you're using such primitive tools?" Vegeta said addressing the question to both Goku and Goten.

"I just thought it would be nice to use fishing rods for a change," Goku explained chuckling nervously, "But I guess it's about time we change up our methods, huh?"

Goten nodded at his father, once again displaying a large grin.

"Race ya!" Goku challenged his son.

Goten jumped to his feet and they stripped down to their birthday suits in record time before jumping into the water.

Vegeta crossed his arms and watched as the two wrestled the gigantic fishes out of the water and tossed them effortlessly into the air and towards the shore.

He took off his gloves and shirt and placed them on the ground neatly folded, deciding it was best to make himself useful and gut the fish. The sooner he could eat the sooner he could leave.

* * *

Several minutes had passed and the men were fully dressed once again. The fish was ready to be cooked, and Goten left the aea in order to collect the firewood.

Vegeta rested silently against a tree a few feet from Goku who was still near the pond.

Goku stared at Vegeta who had his eyes closed but could sense he was being watched.

"Did something happen between you and Bulma?" Goku asked breaking the silence.

"We are not having this conversation," Vegeta's features hardening but his eyes remained closed.

Goku let out a sigh and shrugged.

"Oh well…thanks by the way."

"Hm?" Vegetas eyes opened.

"It hadn't hit me before until today but I realized while as in the otherworld you were there for Goten. Thanks," Goku said with a weak smile.

"Why do you insist on making me out to be a saint?"

"Well, you are one of the good guys. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to beat Majin Buu."

"If it wasn't for me Majin Buu would have never awoken in the first place," Vegeta sneered.

"Maybe, who knows?" Goku shrugged.

"Besides, I had no choice. Our brats are inseparable…"

"They sure are, maybe we can learn something from them, huh?"

"In your dreams, Kakarot."

"Oh come on! We're great friends. We even shared a body."

"Please don't remind me, I'll need years of therapy to get over that one."

They both chuckled awkwardly, Goku scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Goten arrived with a pile of firewood just in time to interrupt the awkward moment.

Soon the fish was on the fire and their feast was ready to be devoured.

* * *

As the day went on, ominous grey clouds moved swiftly through the evening sky engulfing the sun and blocking off light. The rumbling of thunder trapped within the clouds could be heard from a distance.

Goten napped soundly in his tent as the two men sat by the fireplace silently and curiously noticing the change of the weather.

"You're welcome to stay with us," Goku said and looked down at Vegeta.

"I rather sleep in a cave then share a tent with a clown."

Goku chuckled, "Suit yourself, but please take my sleeping bag, I insist."

"Don't insult me," Vegeta said standing up, "I'm a warrior; I've survived far worse terrains and weather without a tent or a silly sleeping bag. And I think it's about time I make myself scarce."

Goku nodded slightly without further protest. Vegeta reciprocated the nod and without another word flew off into the darken sky, a flash of lightning obscuring the sight of his retreating form.

* * *

**Well I hope ya'lls liked it, I tried very hard to stay true to the characters. But def keep in mind I'm trying to capture Vegeta in this transitioning stage so hopefully he doesn't seem too OOC. **

**Please review, it really encourages me and I love (****constructive****) criticism and feedback. **

Chapter 1 song title: Papa Was A Rolling Stone by The Temptations


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own DB, DBZ, DBGT, or any of its characters. **

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual context, and language (this chapter is "safe")**

**And as always read and review. **

**A/N: So very sorry it took so long to update, unfortunately I forgot to mention my finals were coming up soon so that meant I'd have less time to write fic and have to spend lots of time writing research papers…and of course on the last day of class my laptop conveniently stopped wanting to turn on :/ SO I will update chapter names after I get that fixed (cuz I had a nice little outline that I don't wanna stray away from). Anyhow, I would also like to thank all of you wonderful people who have reviewed, followed, and fav'd my fic :'D I love you all. **

Chapter 3

Bulma sat at her desk, her office was dim and the glare of the computer screen lit up her face. She was in the process of designing specs for a new interplanetary spacecraft, her personal project had been postponed for several months and this was the first time she really felt like working on it. Though this sudden interest was one of the common ways she expressed upset or stress. Inventing…working was her way of coping with those emotions and she had been working hard in her lab for most of that day except for lunch and dinner breaks. To her great annoyance she was still having difficulty concentrating, she couldn't keep herself from thinking about that morning's incident.

Bulma let out a loud sigh and looked over at her coffee mug for a while before grabbing it and taking a sip.

"What am I gonna do?"

She thought back to that morning: Trunks had ran up to her room shortly after he had finished his breakfast which didn't take him very long to devour. He needed to get some real answers from his mother and he wanted to be reassured that this wasn't the fight to end all fights.

Bulma felt like he deserved to know what was going on no matter how young he was.

She was amazed when Trunks told her that he had heard everything but what was most disturbing was how little it seemed to have affected him.

After much prying she found out all that had occurred in the gravity room just the night before and he confessed that he had found out the circumstances that had brought Vegeta to become possessed by Babidi.

"_So you just forgave him just like that, huh?_

"_Well yeah, dad wouldn't say he was sorry unless he really meant it." _

_She smiled softly at her son and pulled him in for a hug. _

"_Come on mom, I'm too old for that." _

"_I don't care how old you get, you'll always be my little boy." Bulma said before squeezing him tighter then letting go. _

_There was silence for a moment as the two of them sat facing each other on the King sized bed. _

"…_mom?"_

"_What is it?"_

"_You and dad are gonna make up, right?"_

_Bulma could feel something in her chest tighten. Trunks looked at her with an intensity that was so reminiscent of his father's and she could feel herself break under its pressure. _

"_Look I'll cut you a deal, I'll give dad another chance but it's gotta be on my terms. Got it? He needs to suffer a little bit more before I can allow him back home." Bulma said ruffling Trunk's hair. _

_Trunks nodded and smiled. He was more than used to the cat-and-mouse- games his parents played, sometimes he felt like he was more mature than either of them but he knew arguing would be pointless. They were both so hardheaded and stubborn it was nearly impossible to get them to play nice._

Bulma let out another sigh and looked back at her screen, "How can I say no to my baby?" She said to herself before starting up on her project again.

* * *

Capsule Corp was completely engulfed by darkness except for the stream light that escaped from an open refrigerator, a small boy dressed from head to toe in black rummaged through the food, stuffing anything that was edible into a large camping backpack.

"This should do it, I hope he's not too hungry," Trunks whispered to himself.

It was several hours passed his bedtime but he knew this would be the only time he could escape without raising suspicions. His mother had made him promise not to go look for his father when he asked if it was alright to take him dinner that evening so he had to make sure no one knew what he was up to now. He could hear the drops of rain crashing down on his roof, and once in a while the lighting would cause the walls to rumble, the weather was perfect, it kept him hidden and muffled his movements inside the house.

When Trunks felt satisfied with the supplies he had gathered for his father, he flew off from the back entrance of his house into the pouring rain.

* * *

His eyes jolted open; he could feel his son's power level approaching quickly. He was leaning against the damp wall of a cave, barely asleep. He stared at the fire he had built a few hours ago, it was barely dying down and the rain was still coming down pretty hard.

"_What was he thinking…"_

Vegeta let out a deep sigh before getting up, he knew his son's ability to follow ki was still underdeveloped so he flew out of the cave to meet his son among the gray clouds.

He quickly found Trunks hovering above the forest looking down; concentrating so hard that he failed to realize his father was a few yards right behind him.

"Boy, what are you doing out here? Didn't I tell you to stay with your mother," Vegeta asked.

Trunks yelped in surprised and turn around dramatically to face his father.

"Hey dad…uh…I just thought you might be hungry, I brought you some food and other things you might need," Trunks answered nervously.

Vegeta crossed his arms and gave his son a stern look before closing the gap between them, and then unexpectedly Trunks' head received his father's fist.

"OW! Why, dad?"

"That will make you think twice before you disobey me again. Now follow me before you get sick," Vegeta growled before jetting off in the direction of the cave. Trunks followed his father after rubbing the bump that was now newly developed on his head, _"This is the thanks I get."_

* * *

Bulma felt mentally and physically numb which was probably a sign to call it a night. And when she emerged from her lab she headed straight to the kitchen, she hadn't really eaten much at dinner and was now feeling the effects of it.

She turned on the lights of the kitchen and was shocked at the mess that was revealed. The cabinets wide open, Tupperware everywhere and the refrigerator had been left cracked open just a bit.

"Trunks…" She said with a groan. She began to put everything back into its place, she was a bit used to this kind of disarray. Trunks had some minor issues with sleep waking and eating so at the moment she wasn't too worried but once she got everything back in its place she ran up the stairs to his bedroom to make sure he had gotten back safe.

* * *

Trunks rummage through the bag, pulling out plastic containers and cans filled with food for his father and laying everything into a neat pile. Vegeta just stared with a stern look on his face, he was sitting on the other side of the newly lit fire.

"So, yeah. Here's some food and I even brought you a sleeping bag," Trunks said turning to his father and grinning widely.

"Does your mother know you're here?"

"Hm…no…" Trunks was starting to feel like this was a really terrible idea.

"Just because I'm not home doesn't give you free range to do as you please, boy," Vegeta informed him scornfully.

"Yes sir," Trunks whispered looking down at his feet.

"I acknowledge the gesture but I want you to leave right now and don't come back unless you have permission,"

Trunks nodded awkwardly, feeling a mixture of guilt and resentment, not quite sure what he had done wrong or why his father would be so upset.

"Go now," Vegeta said calmly.

His father's restraint made him uneasy, he was used to his father's sarcasm and rage but he was definitely not used to patience. Ever since Vegeta's failed attempt to kill Buu he seemed to be more careful about how he talked to Trunks and there was even some warmness to his way of interacting with him now. All of this made Trunks worry and make it all the more difficult to avoid the guilt of misbehavior.

So with one last final nod Trunks turned towards the entrance and flew off towards Capsule Corp.

Vegeta watched his son fly off until he disappeared; the rain was finally starting to dwindle. Once he was sure Trunks had gone he got up and walked towards the pile of food, and ripped into it greedily. He didn't want to encourage his son by showing that he was hungry or vulnerable, it would have been too much of a strike on his ego and it would justify Trunk's behavior at the same time. Soon he was finished and after setting up his sleeping bag he was asleep in no time.

* * *

Bulma cracked open the door of the mischievous purple-haired boy's bedroom, it was dark and still, and the rain hitting his window make it all very eerie. Bulma crept quietly towards the bundle of blankets; her hand slowly moved towards what she thought was her son's head. But her hand wasn't met with straight locks of hair…instead with the cool fabric of a pillow case.

"_What…"_

She narrowed her eyes, trying to adjust and visually pierce through the darkness; she then grabbed the covers and pulled them down carefully revealing a pair of pillows that had been placed to look like someone was under the covers. She turned around and switched on the bedroom lights to confirm what she thought she had just seen; her heart began to race when it true.

Bulma speed down stairs again and began to look through all the rooms of the house, not sure if her son was completely conscious or not. She had no idea if his sleep walking had finally brought him to leave the house and possibly get into trouble or if he had deliberately left the room. She searched every room, quietly calling out to him not wanting to wake her parents and make them worry but she had no luck.

"_What am I gonna do? What if he walked outside into the rain? Wouldn't that wake him up?…Vegeta why the hell did you have to piss me off his morning!" _Bulma's mind was racing while she searched the indoor garden, the last room of the house.

With no success she ran back to the living room and grabbed a raincoat from the coat closet near the front door before walking into the pouring rain. The large storm seem to have moved further into West City and was now more violent than before, Bulma could hardly see a few yards ahead of her and the lightning was terrifying.

"TRUNKS!" She called out as she moved round the large compound, hoping he was still in the area and hadn't flown out while in an unconscious state.

Bulma could feel her own tears mixing in with the rain that dripped down her face, she was becoming desperate, half an hour had passed with no sign of Trunks and she had no way of asking for Vegeta's help. She felt hopeless but she kept frantically calling out for her son through the pouring rain and the loud thunder claps.

* * *

Trunks was struggling to see but thankfully was familiar enough with the route to his home that he didn't need too much visual guidance. He was getting close, he could make out his family's faint ki and he was approaching pretty quickly. Finally he could see the silhouette of Capsule Corp in the distance then a sharp ray of light appeared before him penetrating the darkness of the night and momentarily lighting the letters that spelled out CAPSULE CORP. at the entrance of his home. His mother's scream rang in his ears before it was muffled by the sound of thunder that followed the lightning. His heart sped up and he shot through the air, within seconds finding Bulma lying in the mud, the pieces of a demolished palm tree scattered around her.

"Mom!"

Trunks kneeled down next to his mother, she was faced down, he quickly and gently rolled her over and awkwardly picked her up. He floated to the front door and kicked it open, immediately calling out for his grandparents. The sound of the thunder having woken them up already, they heard Trunks' call and came running downstairs within minutes.

Mrs. Briefs grasped when she saw Bulma laid on the living room floor wet and covered in mud, blood dripping from her hair.

"Oh dear!" she called out.

"My boy, what happened?" Dr. Briefs asked worriedly.

"I don't know grandpa! Mom was outside and I think she got hit by some debris, a bolt of lightning destroyed a palm tree she was standing next to," Trunks informed them frantically.

Dr. Briefs placed his two fingers on Bulma neck, checking her pulse.

Mrs. Briefs kneeled down opposite from the doctor, taking Trunks in an embrace. He began crying, visibly shaken from the sight of his mother in such a state, he never quite saw her so hurt and utterly defenseless.

"She's breathing," Dr. Briefs said looking up at Bunny. "Trunks my boy, please calm down you have to help me and your grandmother take Bulma to the infirmary."

Mrs. Briefs let go of Trunks who turned to his grandfather and nodded, he took a deep breath, pulled back his tears and carried his mother once again.

"Bunny, please grab some towels and clean her up a bit especially around the injury on her head. I'm going to call Dr. Conteh and ask him to come over immediately," Dr. Briefs told his wife.

She nodded and both moved swiftly in opposite directions to tend to their responsibilities.

* * *

Bulma awoke with a start, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. Momentarily uncertain of where she was or what had occurred. Suddenly Trunks' name flashed through her mind and she called out to him sitting up on her bed.

"It's alright darling, he's alright. He's just taking a nap," Bunny said as she entered the room with a tray full of food.

Bulma turned, looking bewildered.

"Mother! What happened?"

"Well, you've been out for a couple of days…you were hit in the head pretty hard, dear and you dislocated your wrist as well. Nothing too terribly serious, sure looked worse than it was," Mrs. Briefs said cheerfully, setting the tray on Bulma's nightstand.

"All I can remember was walking around in the rain looking for Trunks…" Bulma looked down at her hand, noticing the cast for the first time.

"Mom!" Trunks yelled happily. Bulma turned to look at her son who literally flew at her and was in her arms within seconds.

"Oh sweet, please be gentle with your mother," Mrs. Briefs plead.

"It's alright, mom," Bulma said holding Trunks closer and kissing the top of his head.

Trunks pulled back.

"I'm sorry, mom. I should have listen to you, I'm so sorry," Trunks said desperately.

"I don't understand, what's wrong?" Bulma asked.

"You were looking for me outside when the accident happened, weren't you?"

"Yes, I thought you were sleep walking again...and you found your way outside..."

"…No…I went looking for dad…and when I got back you had been hit by a piece of bark…"

"Oh Trunks…"

"I'm sorry, mom. I was so scared…I didn't mean to hurt you,"

Bulma was silent; she didn't feel angry she was just relieved and a bit dizzy.

"You…you don't hate me, do you?" Trunks asked.

"Oh Trunks, I can never hate you. You're my life but you really upset me and it's only fair that you get punished for disobeying me and making me worry," Bulma finally said.

"I understand, mom. I'm just happy you're okay," Trunks said falling into his mother's embrace again.

"Come dear, let your mother eat something. She must be starving," Mrs. Briefs said, Trunks complied and jumped off the bed following Mrs. Briefs out the room.

* * *

Most of her day was spent in bed, eating and resting until she felt strong enough to shower that night. Trunks had been in and out of her bedroom periodically checking up on her progress and helping her get out of bed when she needed to use the bathroom.

Bulma finally retired Trunks for that night, telling him it was alright for him to play with his videogames now especially since he might be losing that freedom very soon.

She sat on her bed reading through a report, since she hadn't been in the office for two days she thought it best to get some work in while she was feeling okay but she found it hard to concentrate. Her thoughts were now once again on Vegeta, she wasn't sure if he knew what was going on but Trunks' actions desperately made her want to talk to him, consult him and frankly end this little charade she had started.

Sure, his betrayal hurt her beyond belief but she couldn't kid herself. She knew from the beginning she'd end up forgiving him, she just wanted him to understand how much pain he could cause her. She puffed in frustration and got off the bed, leaving the folder on her pillow. She walked to her dresser, and from under a pile of clothes she pulled out a carton of cigarettes and a lighter. She walked towards the balcony, opening the French doors and walking out into the cool breeze of the night.

She lit up her cigarette and took a long drag, exhausting the smoke slowly.

"When are you going to give up that disgusting habit?" A rough voice said from somewhere behind her.

She turned around, there was no one, then she looked up, and there Vegeta sat on the roof with his legs crossed.

"When you stop being a jerk," Bulma snapped at him turning away. _"Dammit Bulma, just swallow your pride and forgive him…" _She thought but her anger was flaring up quickly and preventing her from talking to him. It was hard being vulnerable around Vegeta, she was so used to the biting remarks and the sarcasm sometimes it was hard to break the cycle. Just seeing him automatically put her on the defensive.

She then heard the clicking of his boots as he landed behind her.

"So never…" Vegeta replied sarcastically.

An awkward silence followed, Bulma continue to take drags from her cigarette refusing to look at him.

"Perhaps I shall go. I came only to check on your progress," Vegeta said taking a few steps towards the edge of the balcony.

"How did you find out?"

"Hm?"

"About my accident?"

"Your parents sent the boy to get me; they thought I'd want to know. I wanted to make sure for myself that you had survived…don't want our son growing up without a mother…"

"…Why were you on the roof anyway?" Bulma asked turning towards him, he was a couple feet to her right.

"You banished me, so I stayed outside," He didn't turn to look at her, and stared out into the night. The West City lights shining in the distance.

"…Oh."

"If that's all then I won't waste anymore time here," Vegeta announced after another brief silence.

"Wait!" Bulma spat out.

"What is it, woman?" Vegeta asked with irritation.

"Look, just stay…okay? It's obvious Trunks needs you here….and so do I," she let out a sigh, "I'd just prefer it if you stayed in one of the guest rooms…I'm still bitter and I just need time." Bulma looked at him, her eyes exhibiting her fatigue.

Vegeta turned towards her and nodded slightly before turning all the way around and walking through the bedroom and into the hallway.

Bulma put out the cigarette on the rail of the balcony before heading back in. She threw the butt of cigarette into a small trash basket; she then looked at the carton and the lighter in her hand and let out a sigh before throwing both into the basket as well.

* * *

**I'm not sure if I'm building it up too much but so far I'm really enjoying myself so I'm gonna just keep this going. If you find any grammar issues or typos feel free to let me know, and please give me your delicious reviews, they shall keep me energized. ;D**

**Song: Lightnin' Strikes by Lou Christie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: Smut ahead. I can get pretty descriptive…so this is just a fair warning. I will post an author's note for when that scene officially starts up. **

**Please forgive me for taking sooo long! School got in the way then the only thing I was interested in doing was looking at Vegetabul arts and it was just so hard to start writing again. Good news though, this chapter is pretty long but please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes I just wanted to post it as soon as possible. Also I might be revising some previous chapters to stay consistent because sometimes I might not be so good at that, but fret not, I do not believe it'll be necessary for any of you to revisit those chapters unless you want to. Enjoy!**

**M for sexual content and other adult themes **

**Disclaimer: I do not own DB, DBZ, DBGT, or any of its characters. **

**And as always please R&R. **

* * *

Bulma gasped and then moaned loudly.

A few moments later, Vegeta's rough voice penetrated the sounds.

"Why are you making such a racket?" Vegeta asked, the noise rousing his curiosity enough to drive him away from the television and into the kitchen where he could investigate further.

Bulma was hunched over next to the dinner table, one hand holding the cast wrapped around her healing wrist.

"This stupid table got in my way, the corner hit my wrist," Bulma said with very obvious frustration, tears swelling up in her eyes. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to destroy the object that had caused her pain but knew that doing so would be totally irrational.

"You mean you were clumsy and hurt yourself…again," Vegeta corrected, looking annoyed and bored with how uninteresting the cause of the noise was.

"Look smartass, I didn't call for you or ask for your input so you can go away," Bulma said narrowing her eyes and straightening up before putting her good hand on her waist.

Vegeta grunted and furrowed his eyebrows, "Well, that's obvious, if you had asked for my input in the first place then you wouldn't be in this predicament you insufferable wrench."

"What the heck is that suppose to mean!" Bulma said her frustration turning into anger. She stomped forward closing the gap between her and Vegeta.

"Simply that you should be out looking for some sensu beans or the dwarf Namekian to heal you instead of screeching in pain every few minutes due to your total lack of coordination," Vegeta answered, a smug smirk appearing on his face as he watched Bulma's face turn red with embarrassment and anger. There was nothing he loved more than getting under Bulma's skin and the best way to do it was to make her feel stupid, which he prided himself in doing pretty well.

Since his return they've spent the last few days bickering and arguing about anything and everything; both had regressed to their stubborn selves. Bulma too terrified to bring up the whole issue of Babidi and Vegeta not willing to subject himself to another emotional display, they had settled in acting like spoiled children. Unfortunately, their unfinished business only caused more tensions to rise which threatened to fracture their relationship further, not to mention the lack of sexual contact was starting to make things really unbearable for the two of them.

Bulma rolled her eyes, and turned around dramatically flipping her short hair in the process.

"I don't need sensu beans, I'm a big girl I can handle the pain unlike others I know," Bulma said in retaliation as she walked away.

"Ha! You don't know the meaning of pain!"

"Whatever dweeb," She replied before walking out of the room and into a hallway that led to her lab.

"_She's acting like a child…" _Vegeta thought, the expression of his face riddled with confusion. He shrugged and went on his way to the gravity room but not before grabbing a snack.

* * *

"Trunks, honey, aren't you done filing yet?" Bulma asked when she came into her office. Trunks was standing next to the file cabinet which was filled with folders, he was surrounded by piles of paper and he looked absolutely bored.

"Mom, there's a lot! Can't I take a break?" Trunks said in a whiney tone. As punishment for going out at night without permission and essentially putting Bulma's life in danger Trunks had become errand boy for both his parents. His mother used him for menial office tasks and when she didn't have anything for him, his father would make him train hard or use him as a (demi-) human punching bag.

"Alright, alright. How would you like to go to Kami's lookout for me?"

"Huh?" Trunks perked up at the idea of leaving the house for a few hours.

"I need you to go find me some sensu beans…for my wrist,"

"Oh! Yeah, alright that's a good idea. I'll go right away, mom," Trunks said his face brightening up with a smile.

"Alright, but you go straight there and back, you hear me? If I catch wind that you went to visit Goten you're going to have hell to pay," Bulma said sternly.

"Got it!" Trunks flew up from the piles of paper and jetted pass his mother, within seconds the Capsule Corp compound was behind him.

LINE

"This is incredible! How did you heal so quickly?" The Brief's personal physician asked looking at Bulma's wrist curiously. With much persuasion he came to the Capsule Corp compound to remove Bulma's cast which wasn't supposed to be removed for several more weeks.

"I thought you were nuts, but you're as good as new," He continued.

"I must have good genes," Bulma lied, giving him a nervous chuckle.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm happy to see you've healed so quickly," Dr. Conte said with a nod. He was a funny little man, but very nice, he was the best money could buy and was very good at keeping quiet about the eccentric body mechanics of her two Saiyans.

"Alright, everything looks in order. I'll be seeing you in a couple weeks for your check up," He said putting away his things.

"Thank you, Dr. Conte. I'll see you out," Bulma said leading him out of her home.

* * *

Trunks was absolutely exhausted, his sweat drenched hair as proof of this. Since his return from Kami's Lookout Bulma sent him right to his father who had a new project for him when he arrived at the gravity room that afternoon.

For a few months, Trunks had in his possession a magical sword that had been handed to him from a great warrior named Tapion. When Trunks had casually reminded his father of this artifact a couple of days ago during one of his many jabbering sessions, Vegeta seemed oddly interested, more than his son was used to. And for some odd reason he had asked Trunks to bring the sword that day when he was ready to train. Trunks had spent hours now swinging the sword at high gravity, he had lost count of how many times he had slashed the air with his blade and he wasn't really sure why his dad kept pushing him to continue.

"Dad, can't we call it a day?" Trunks whined between pants, lowering his sword in the process.

"Not until you show me a proper swing of that sword, boy," Vegeta said in his usual stern voice without breaking the rhythm of workout.

Trunks let out a sigh of defeat, he knew arguing with his father was a fruitless venture especially at this moment when both his parents were extremely upset with him which he understood was perfectly warranted. He pulled up the heavy sword again preparing for another downward slash. He just didn't really understand why his dad cared so much that he perfected his swordplay, he never pushed him to use weapons before but for some reason the mention of this sword really sparked an interest in Vegeta, one he hadn't witnessed before.

As his sword cut through the air, a loud beep rang throughout the gravity room. Trunks lowered his sword and turned around to see his mother's face projected onto a large monitor screen near the control station.

"Hey boys, dinner will be ready in about an hour so wash up," She said hastily before the screen blacked out.

Trunks turn to his father for permission to leave, and with a simple nod he was dismissed. The gravity room powered down as Trunks exited the chamber, and Vegeta was left alone standing in the center of the room.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose before letting out a loud sigh; there was no end to his frustration, just seeing Bulma on the monitor made him uneasy. He always hated how much she affected him but he really didn't know how to deal with her this time around, she was more irrational and touché than usual. The constant bickering, the separate rooms, the awkward silences…the total lack of physical affection, was almost more than he could stand, the night at the cave had more warmth than capsule corporation did these last few days and he was almost tempted to fly right back to it. He knew he was responsible for it all but the small pang of guilt he felt really rubbed him the wrong way especially since it seemed like he was struck in limbo, totally unsure of whether the issue between him and Bulma would ever be resolved and that was truly the most infuriating part for him. But for fear of truly losing his family, he waited and hoped that Bulma would address this tear between them. _"Why can't she be as simple minded as the boy and just forgive me already,"_ Vegeta thought with a groan. He finally began his stride towards the compound and to his shower, deciding that just standing around thinking about his current predicament was just a waste of time.

* * *

He stepped into the bedroom that he once remembered sharing with his mate, but it had been so long since he slept there that he felt a little uncomfortable entering; it was almost as if he was invading someone else's space but he wasn't about to show his discomfort. He knew Bulma was in there but he strode in anyway and walked straight towards the closet where most of his clothes were. When he noticed that she wasn't visibly in the bedroom and looked around and it became obvious that she was showering at that precise moment. He paused for a second and stared at the door of the master bath, it was just barely cracked open and steam was pouring out, he inhaled and exhaled to regain some composure and continued on his pursuit of a clean shirt, he wasn't going to be distracted by Bulma anymore.

* * *

She wrapped her hand around the shower faucet until the water cut off completely. She stepped out of the tub and grabbed her yellow towel and as she walked out of the bathroom she rubbed the towel against her neck and shoulder, working the cloth over her upper body in an attempt to dry herself. She paused at the door and her eyes widen, she could feel her cheeks burn hot with blood.

* * *

Vegeta stood in the middle of the room, with a black button up shirt in his hand. He too had stopped in his tracks and stared at his long-term partner. He hadn't felt this awkward about seeing her naked in a long time and he mentally berated himself for becoming so turned on at that moment with such little stimulation. _"You're a forty-something year old man for Kami's sake, not some horny teenager," _He thought before turning his head away dramatically.

Bulma wrapped the towel around her body hastily, "What the heck! Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock before entering someone else's room!"

"I don't need to knock to enter my own blasted room and stop acting like you've got something I haven't seen before," Vegeta responded with disgust.

He then noticed her miraculously healed wrist and with a scoff he added, "Oh, I see you finally came to your senses and listened to my advice." And before she could get a word in he strode out of the room.

Bulma stared blankly at the door Vegeta had exited for a few seconds in confusion until she realized he was talking about her wrist then she huffed in frustration, "Why you arrogant bigheaded jerk, I'll show you something you haven't seen before…how about my fist…_bam_ right in that ugly mug of yours…" she muttered incoherently to herself for a few minutes before settling down and getting dressed for dinner.

_Half an hour later…_

Everyone was in the dinner room, Bunny and Dr. Briefs were setting up the table for the whole family. That night they were having all of Vegeta's favorites, since his return Bunny was more attentive than usual; she knew that things weren't going very smoothly between himself and Bulma so she wanted to make sure that he still felt welcome by some at Capsule Corp.

Vegeta and Bulma sat as far as possible from each other at the table, both refusing to acknowledge the other's presence. Trunks sat between his mother and grandmother, although he cared about his father very much he was definitely a momma's boy and at times like these his preference was always more visible.

Silence settled in pretty quickly, and the only sound was the clanging of the forks and spoons against the glass plates.

Then suddenly Trunk's voice broke the silence, "Um, mom?"

"What is it?" Bulma said look down at her son.

"I was wondering…uh, could I sleep over at Goten's place next weekend, if that's okay with you that is…" Trunks asked.

"You have got to be kidding me…"

"You cannot be serious..."

Both Bulma and Vegeta's voices rang out at the same time, and Trunks knew this wasn't a good sign. What his parent's teamed up, it never really ended well for him.

Bulma glanced up at Vegeta quickly, surprised that he would say anything at all and then looked back at Trunks.

"Now Trunks, do you really think you deserve to go on a playdate with Goten after what you've done?"

Trunks lowered his head in shame, immediately regretting his request.

"The boy must be suffering from some kind of brain injury, there is no way he could be stupid enough to ask such a question," Vegeta followed up.

The comment caused Bulma to tense and send him a glare, "Look Vegeta, I can handle this. I don't need you insulting my son."

Vegeta was slightly taken aback by this, but composed himself quickly and responded with indignation, "May I remind you that you weren't the only one involved in the conception of this brat. He is OUR son, not just yours and I can discipline him anyway I see fit."

"I could care less what you contributed to his creation, you certainly didn't care enough to help raise him! You were always locked up in that fucking gravity room," Bulma roared, she had finally snapped.

Dr. and Mrs. Briefs silently stared back and forth at the two who were now glaring at each other with burning hatred.

"How dare you! I gave up everything and stayed on this pathetic excuse of a planet just for you and that boy. I was totally capable of leaving this place at any point and I chose not to, I sacrificed everything."

"HA, as if you really cared about us. If it weren't for that stupid rivalry you have with Goku, you would have been long gone buddy. You stayed all those years just so you could get your chance, and when you got it…you were sooo ready to leave us even to the point of giving up your freewill! You didn't care about anything else, you were happy to rid yourself of us for good."

Bunny let out a gasp, "Honey, please not in front of the boy."

Trunks sat very still, and stared blankly at his food which he was now pushing around with his spoon. Bulma snapped out of her rage for a moment and looked at her son again, regretting the outburst immediately.

"I'm done with this," Vegeta said rising from the table and walking out of the room.

"Trunks, honey. I'm so sorry you had to hear that," Bulma said putting her hand on her son's back.

"I didn't mean to make you guys fight," Trunks whispered.

"Oh sweet, no. It's not your fault, you know me and your father have our issues…this had nothing to do with you,"

Trunks slowly pulled his head up, his eyes were glassy but he was trying very hard not to shed a tear. He hated seeing his parents fight so intensely and it was even worse when he caused them to do so.

Bulma rubbed her hand over his cheek in order to comfort him.

"It's okay, honey. Me and your father are gonna work this out, I promise…I'll fix it all tonight. And guess what else buddy? You can go sleep over at Goten's house this weekend, I think you've earn a little time off…"

"Okay, mom," Trunks responded in a whisper.

"Mom, can you please clean him up and tuck him in tonight. I have a feeling it's gonna take me and Vegeta a few hours to get things straighten out," Bulma said turning to her mother.

Bunny nodded and soon Bulma excused herself from the table and left in the same direction Vegeta had gone.

* * *

After several failed attempts, Bulma finally found the bedroom Vegeta was settled in (which happened to be the furthest from their master bedroom). When she had opened the door, he was lying face up on the small bed with his legs crossed and his arms behind his head, he was staring blankly at the ceiling. Bulma looked at him from behind the door, waiting to be acknowledged but he continued to look up.

"Can I come in?" She finally let out.

He grunted in respond which she took as an indication of authorization. She walked in and sat down near the edge of the bed next to his feet and for a while they sat there without saying a word trying to adjust to each other's presence.

"Look Bulma, I might've jumped too eagerly at the chance of defeating Kakarot but I was at no point planning to rid myself of you. I-I will admit I was a bit too engrossed in my desire to beat him but it was never my goal to abandon you…" Vegeta said very deliberately after a few moments.

Bulma let out a sigh, he was very rarely so raw with her but she was still so uncertain about him, about their relationship and the future.

"You really hurt me, Vegeta…When I saw you at the stadium, what you did to those people, I wasn't even sure if I could bring myself to revive you with the dragon balls…seeing you like that, truly frighten me, and I lost hope…in you."

"I…know…it was wrong. I admit it, I regret it, but what else would you have me do? You know this already…what can I really say that will satisfy you? I tried to redeem myself, for your sake and for our son's; I gave up my life to undo the damage I had done and save the planet. And here I am again…"

She then turn her head to look at him, and they locked eyes.

"How can I be sure you won't do this to me again? How am I supposed to trust you after all that…how do I know you won't try to leave me again?"

Vegeta sat up on the bed so he was now at eye level with Bulma.

"I've changed, Bulma. I cannot explain it to you, but being under Babidi's spell…fighting Kakarot…the battle with Buu…all of it helped me realize that what was most important to me now was no longer becoming powerful or even surpassing Kakarot…"

Bulma leaned in, she placed her hand on Vegeta's shoulder and she could feel him tense at her touch.

"What's the most important thing to you now then?"

Vegeta broke his gaze away from hers and turned his face away slightly.

"You already know the answer to that question."

"I want to hear you say it…"

When he felt her hand move down his arm and land on his hand which was resting on his lap, he turn towards her again. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"I know that I've been distant and inattentive to you and our son…for perhaps too long, and in the past my training always came first and regardless of that you've always supported me. You've given me everything this planet could offer, even a means to increase my strength, although I hate to admit it, you have always been my partner no matter how detach I became to you. And I want you to know that I realize now that you…and our son are the most important thing to me, and I apologize for how long it has taken me to see that…you truly deserve more than what I've given you and I've never quite understood why you've never left my side but I'm…grateful for it."

Bulma could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, she had been involved with this man for over a decade and he had never once admitted to even appreciating her existence. And now he was putting aside his pride and pouring himself out to her. Her eyes began to swell up with tears as she looked at his drained expression.

"Oh Vegeta, I love you so much," Bulma flung her arms around his neck, she pulled her body towards to his, pressing herself closely against him.

In his shock he sat motionless for a few moments, surprised that his words were able to affect her so visibly. But soon his arms were wrapped around her body and he buried his face in her neck, taking in her scent; he allowed himself to relax completely in her present for the first time in what felt like forever.

One of her hands began to move up until it reached his hair, and he could feel her finger tips massage his scalp gently. Then he felt her wet tongue lick his earlobe and soon she took it into her mouth, and soon enough she had moved her mouth to his neck where she sucked and bit him softly.

"What are you doing?" He asked without moving.

She paused…to his disappointment.

"I want you," She whispered into his ear.

He let out a grunt, a shock of arousal had engulfed his whole body within seconds after the sensual confession and he struggled to keep his breathing stable. He still had his pride after all and he refused to let her see him so needy and disgustingly desperate to be with her again.

"You're such a vulgar woman," He finally replied.

"Only because you want me that way…" Bulma said before taking a handful of his hair and tugging on it, her mouth meeting his neck once again.

**_(A/N: Seriously guys, it's about to get hot…so if you don't wanna read any smut, I suggest you skip this part entirely.)_**

His inhibitions went out the window at that moment and before Bulma realized what was going on, she straddling him. His hard on visibly pushing up against the crotch of her jeans. His hands were now firmly placed on her hips, and he stared up at her with a desire she hadn't seen in a while.

Maybe it was the lack of physical contact or the fact that their relationship was on the verge of falling apart just moments ago but their passions were overflowing. And soon their lips connected in an open mouth kiss; that was both sloppy and desperate.

Bulma's hands were now busy trying to undo the buttons on his black shirt but was failing miserably, and after a short time a frustrated Vegeta ripped the shirt off right from his body.

Bulma pulled back from their kiss, "Hey! That shirt was expensive."

"Oh, can you keep quiet for once," Vegeta replied and pulled her into another kiss. Bulma pinched his shoulder out of irritation unable to break away from his lips.

And soon he was tearing her silk blouse apart as well, this time she didn't protest knowing that soon all their clothes would be ruined by the impatient prince.

Vegeta pulled back and looked up at Bulma's heaving chest, she was wearing a black push-up bra that was decorated with lace and ribbon.

"Do you always wear such provocative underwear?"

"Well yeah, you never know when you're gonna get it on."

"Heh, should I be worried of new competition?"

"Maybe, you never know," she said with a wink.

He flashed his signature crooked smile before plunging his face into her breasts and ravaging her flesh with his mouth. His hands were soon at work, squeezing and caressing them from behind the fabric. Bulma closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy his touch and kisses, her hands traveled to his bare chest and shoulders where she ran her hands up and down, feeling his muscles.

Soon he tore the small piece of fabric that kept the cups of her bra together, and her breasts fell out. His tongue found her nipples and he wasted no time in licking and sucking at them.

In response Bulma began to inadvertently grind her hips into his, desperately trying to feel his cock through the thick fabric of their pants.

Vegeta pulled back from her exasperated, "Enough of this," he said.

And without warning, he grabbed Bulma's thighs and in one swift motion he had her on her back, her legs straight up in the air while he stood over them on the bed. He bend down and grabbed the top of her pants and pulled them right off her body, leaving her totally exposed expect for her black panties.

Too astonished by his sudden actions, she just laid still and stared at him wide eyed. And before she knew it, he had pushed her legs open and he was now on top of her, his mouth on her breasts once again. Then he began to slowly travel down her body until he reached the pleasure area between her legs. He looked up at her for a moment, and she looked down at him, she was brimming with anticipation. His hand moved up her leg and down her inner thigh, his fingertips finally reaching the black fabric that hid her increasingly wet lips. Feeling the moist silk against his fingers turned him on even more. He then pressed down, and slowly began rubbing her in a circular motion. She pushed her hips up to try to increase the fiction but he wouldn't allow it, he wanted full control. And after a few minutes of the agonizing teasing she let out a "please," which ignited in him a desire to taste her juices. He pressed his mouth onto the fabric that covered her hot sex, and sucked and licked her savagely forcing her to let out a moan. She needed more, she needed to feel his tongue on her flesh and all this was driving her mad.

"Please, more!" She begged, her hand moved down and her finger hooked onto the top of her panty. She tried to push the silk fabric down but Vegeta's hand covered hers and she was unable to expose her longing sex. And he did not stop pressing his tongue against the material until it was sufficiently wet with her longing and his saliva. Then he pulled back a little and in an instant he shredded the black panties, she didn't care she just wanted more.

And finally he continued and was now busy pleasuring her with his mouth, he kissed and sucked desperate to drink up all of her fluids and in response she bucked her hips uncontrollably against his face. Her thrusts only encouraging him to lick her harder and more passionately, then he took her engorged clitoris into his mouth and sucked on it hard and at the same time he slipped two fingers into her entrance and began to stroke her into oblivion.

She panted and moaned with ecstasy, her hands flew to his hair where her fingers became entangled with his black locks. She couldn't stand it any longer, she could feel herself boil over, her climax engulfing her whole body.

And in an instant her back arched, she threw her head back, and she began to spasm all over while she let out a series of moans. Vegeta did not slow down for a moment and her moans only incited him to suck even harder and push his fingers in and out of her even faster. And when he felt her moans fade and her body become still he pulled out his fingers out and moved his head back to look at her bask in the afterglow of orgasm. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before positioning himself over her again, he hovered there and watched as she tried to collect herself again. She pulled her arms up lazily and clung from his large neck, she pulled herself up and began kissing him gently on the face and lips as if expressing her gratitude.

She laid her head back again and stared at him in awe, "I was so stupid to think I could ever get rid of a stud like you."

"What _were_ you thinking, woman," Vegeta said playfully.

They both chuckled and smiled at each other.

"Now it's time for me to have fun, are you ready?" Vegeta asked, the pain of prolonged arousal causing him to become a bit more impatient.

"Always, my prince," Bulma replied in a sultry tone.

He rolled off of her, and effortlessly pulled her so she was now laying on top of his body. His hard cock pressing against one of her thighs.

Bulma planted a trail of tender kisses from his lips, down his chin, through his neck until she reached his firm chest. She bit down and sucked on the rough skin, moving up and down his chest and enjoying the taste of his finely tanned skin. Her teasing did not last very long, knowing full well that he was probably already aching for her (though he'd never say it out loud). She pulled her body off of him, and her hand quickly found his member which she held onto very firm (causing him to let out a sigh of pleasure). She hovered over him, she lowered herself down slowly letting the tip of penis enter her, and he gasped with the sudden overwhelming sensation. She stayed still, allowing herself get used to the size then lowered herself down even more, taking in more of his length but before she engulfed him completely, she pulled up again. And she tactfully moved her hips up and down only allowing the head of his cock to enter her, he let out a few moans, the sensation was overwhelming and all he could do was caress her arms which were firmly planted on his stomach.

After a few unbearably pleasurable minutes he wasn't able to control his hips any longer, and he thrust upward forcing more of his length into the warm of her wet core. She moaned in response and knew she needed to give him more, she pushed herself down taking him in completely. She moved her hips rapidly up and down, taking the full length of his penis. He let out a grunt and his own hips began to follow her rhythm, he pulled himself up a bit and his hands were soon on her hips. Taking hold of her he was able to help her move even faster, she gripped his shoulders and allowed him to control the speed of their thrusts. They grinded into each other passionately, she had gotten used to the supernatural speed of her prince's thrusts over the years and enjoyed it very much. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he fucked her, she leaned towards him pushing her breasts against his face. He happily stuck out his tongue so he could taste her meanwhile never stopping his swift thrusts. She embraced him even tighter, she was losing control of her body and she could feel another orgasm threatening to wash over her. Her moans grew louder and he could feel her walls tighten around his cock. He pulled her in closer, she moved her hands up from his shoulders and into his hair, she pulled his head back and desperately kissed him, their tongues met. Then she began to moan into his mouth, she had reached her climax once again. And as hers ended, his own pleasure began to overflow and his hips began to jerk wildly into her, she desperately attempted to continue moving up and down his penis until at last he let out a final groan into her mouth before collapsing back onto the bed still holding onto her.

_The next morning…_

"I think mom and dad finally made up last night," Trunks announced to his grandmother who was now serving him breakfast.

"Why do you say that honey?" Bunny chirped.

"Well, cause dad's ki was fluctuating all night. That only happens when he and mom are having their private training sessions and whenever they do that they're always in a good mood afterward," Trunks explained matter-of-factly.

"Oh my, all night you say," Bunny added in shock.

"Yeah, dad told me I should stay away from their wing during their sessions, he doesn't want me distracting them," Trunks said taking in a mouthful of cereal.

"I don't get it…" Trunks shrugged.

"Oh dear, and lets hope you never figure it out," Bunny said with a giggle.

Trunks looked up at his flustered grandmother with confusion but decided to let it go (he always thought she was a strange woman even though he cared about her dearly) and began to stuff his face again.

* * *

Back upstairs, the two lovers had moved their passionate love making into their joint master bedroom sometime in the middle of the night. They enjoyed a few of their old toys and partook in some of the kinkier sex before they finally passed out from exhaustion. Vegeta was now stepping out of the bathroom into the bedroom, totally naked except for a towel that hung from his shoulders. Bulma still laid on the bed, awake but too tired to really get up. She stared at him while he walked around the room looking for his training clothes, he felt a lot more in spirits and for the first time in a while he felt good enough about himself to have a nice long hard day in the gravity chamber.

"Don't tell me you're gonna go train," Bulma said with disappointment, as she watched him pull up his blue spandex.

"Why not?" Vegeta asked without pausing.

Bulma sighed loudly, she didn't have a reason or at least not one good enough for him to change his mind.

She just wanted him around to cuddle and do romantic things with but she knew he'd never bite, he did those things on a whim and only allowed it when he had nothing better to do.

"_Maybe if I got him to have sex with me again, I can have him a little longer…" _She thought, a playful smirk appeared on her face while she watched him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked noticing the weird way she was staring at him.

She pulled the sheets off her body suddenly, she was naked and her legs were spread open. She patted her vagina and said, "Fuck me like one of your Saiyan girls, Vegeta."

Vegeta looked at her dumbfounded for a few moments, then he bit down on his lips trying to contain the laughter but he couldn't help it, he stared laughing hysterically to the point where he had to hold his sides from the pain.

"That is the cheesiest thing I've ever heard you say, woman," He let out through his chuckles.

Bulma turned red with embarrassment and rage, "I hate you!" She shouted before throwing her pillow at his head. It bounced off of him and he barely noticed, finally his laugher died off and Bulma was now sitting on the bed with her arms crossed giving him a nasty stare.

"Oh come on, it was a silly thing to say…" Vegeta said trying to reassure her.

"You're such a jerk, I was just trying to be sexy for you," Bulma said turning her head away.

Vegeta hopped on the bed next to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss, she resisted at first but slowly gave in and kissed him back. He finally pulled back and looked at her.

"Even if I were to fuck you "like one of my saiyan girls" I don't think I'd know how…I haven't seen one since the age of four, and I wasn't interested in those kinds of things back then. I was too busy purging planets." Vegeta explained.

"Yeah, I guess it was a stupid thing to say," Bulma admitted, "I just wanted you to hang out with me a little while is all."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I did stay a bit longer," Vegeta said.

Bulma smiled and brought him in for another kiss.

* * *

**So I hope I was pretty good at the drama stuff, from here on out it might be even more silly with bits and pieces of drama mixed in (which I feel is characteristic of the show). I'm very excited for what I have planned for this fic :3 and I hope I can update more regularly from now on but don't hold your breath…school does get in the way a lot.**

**And as always, thanks for the follows and reviews! Love you guys.**


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